Sails In The Sunset
by avrovulcan
Summary: A background story and a prequel of sorts to 'When Plans Don't Go To Plan'. Napoleon decides to take his boat 'Pursang' on a short voyage, but an chance encounter will capture his heart unexpectadly. A response to Valentines Day Challenge on LJ's MFU Scrapbook.


Napoleon sighed as he put the telephone receiver back into its cradle.

His carefully made plans for a romantic weekend had just fallen through. Marie from Communications had apologetically informed him that, unfortunately, her Mother had been taken ill and she needed to go back home.

"I'm really sorry Napoleon," she'd said sadly.

Not half as sorry as he felt, '_I wonder if Silvia has any plans?_' He thought, but no, his heart wasn't really in it now.

Napoleon looked at the photo of his sailboat, Pursang, sitting on the desk; thinking how much he really liked the picture, taken at the end of last summer, even if it did also include a slightly green looking Illya on the deck. The Russian had agreed to help ready the vessel for winter but before doing so, they had taken it out for a short trip, ensuring everything was in good order before battening everything down.

Solo smiled, '_That's what I'll do, I'll take her out,'_ he thought, she was one lady who would never let him down.

Feeling better about his changed circumstances, Napoleon began planning his weekend break anew.

* * *

Solo walked along the wooden pontoons towards Pursang's berth. As he casually looked around the marina, he noticed a shapely brunette piloting a smaller sailboat away from its moorings, returning her smile and wave as she passed by. He knew most of the craft in the area and their owners, but he didn't recognise her or the vessel and wondered if she was just passing through or staying for the season. He would make enquiries later.

Soon he was standing alongside his own yacht; running his hand lovingly along the sleek white hull. He made his way to the gap in the railing, boarding her effortlessly.

Standing for a moment, letting himself become accustomed to the gentle sway of the boat beneath his feet and breathing in the cool air, he felt invigorated. Yes, this was the right thing to do. Taking another deep lungfull of sea breeze, he went below.

The salon smelt musty after several months of being closed up and he opened some portholes to let the air circulate while he put the bags of groceries he had brought with him on the table; he would put them away later. He also had brought a small suitcase with the necessary clothing and toiletries for a weekend outing, and these he carefully stowed away in his cabin.

Returning to the galley, he dealt with the provisions then made himself a hot drink; taking it to the to the padded bench beside the small table, he relaxed and listened to the water slapping against the hull.

"Right, time to get ready now,," Napoleon announced to himself as he put the empty mug in the sink.

Emerging up on deck, he made his way to the sail lockers located in the bow. Pulling the canvas out of their storage place, he set to work attaching the rigging lines to the sheets before fixing them onto the mast rings. As he worked he thought about his last conversation with Illya the day before.

_"Got any plans for the weekend, tovarisch?"_

_"As a matter of fact I have, why?"_

_"Ah, I wondered whether you'd like to accompany me on the Pursang, I'm not going far and it should be fairly calm. I thought maybe with the new seasickness medication R&D has come up with, you might be able to enjoy sailing for a change."_

_"Sorry, my friend, maybe I will come another time."_

_"So, anybody I know?"_

_"Ah, no, I do not think so," Illya smiled slyly, "I thought you were going to spend the weekend with Marie."_

_"Yes, I was, but she couldn't make it, family matters."_

_"I am sorry to hear that, but why take Pursang out this time of year?"_

_"Sailing gives me time to think and the fresh, cool air will be invigorating."_

"_Hmm, maybe. Enjoy yourself and I will see you when you get back." Kuryakin smiled as he slapped Solo on the back before parting ways._

* * *

Task finished, he made ready to get underway. An hour later he was sailing through the Upper Bay out towards the open waters. His destination, Long Island Sound and an eventual cruise around Long Island itself as that would give him a leisurely couple of days and he wouldn't be too far from help if any problems developed.

The Pursang leaned into the wind; her sails billowed, propelling the boat at a steady six knots. Solo enjoyed the feel of the spray on his face and the breeze in his hair as he kept her heading up the coast; he planned on dropping anchor near Hart's Cove for lunch and was making good time.

On the horizon Napoleon could see another sailboat, it was a few minutes before he realised it wasn't moving very fast, as he was quickly gaining ground on it. He estimated that within the next fifteen to twenty minutes he would be overtaking it and decided to pull some of the canvas in and slow down, just in case the mystery boat was in trouble.

As he drew nearer he could see it was the vessel that had passed him earlier that morning and now it was listing to its starboard side. He furled the sails completely and brought the Pursang close to the stricken craft.

"Hello there, anyone home?" Solo called as he scanned the deck for any sign of life.

"Ah, yes, but I'm having a little trouble." The brunette replied as she came up from below.

"I'll come over and see if I can help if you wish."

"That would be appreciated, I'm taking on water."

Napoleon dropped the anchor and pulled a self-inflating dinghy from its stowage location. Once it was ready, he climbed down into it and rowed across to the floundering boat.

"My knight in shining armour, I'm so glad you came along." She smiled shyly as she approached him, rosy cheeked with her hair billowing in the breeze. She was dressed in blue jeans and a thick red parka, a cream sweater could just be glimpsed through the zipper opening.

"Well, I wouldn't go quite that far, skipper in a shining schooner maybe," he flashed his best smile and bowed elaborately, "Napoleon Solo at your service, shall we see what the problem is?"

They started down into the cabin.

"Really? That's an unusual name. Ah… I'm sorry," she blushed, "I guess you must get that kind of reaction often. I'm Elizabeth Johnson, pleased to meet you, in fact, **_very_** pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Johnson."

"Lizzie, please."

The woman led him to the access hatch so they could see into the bowels of the yacht; peering in, Solo could see that there was quite a serious problem. Boats always took on a certain quantity of water, when it reached a particular level, bilge pumps would activate and remove it. It didn't look like they had started and the vessel was taking on a dangerous amount.

"Only if you call me Napoleon," he smiled, "unfortunately, it looks like the bilge is flooding quite rapidly; I'd estimate we've only got another ten minutes before she sinks. Did the pumps start at all?"

"No, I thought it was odd I didn't hear them start after sailing for a while, that's when I noticed something was wrong and looked down there. Thank God you came when you did."

"Nothing I like more than rescuing a damsel in distress. If you collect what you need, I'll take you over to my boat."

"Thank you, it won't take long."

Seven minutes later Solo was rowing them both back to the Pursang; he held the dingy steady as Lizzie boarded the yacht and once on deck himself, he secured the inflatable's rope to the stern, letting it trail behind. By now the brunette's vessel was disappearing beneath the waves. She stood forlornly at the rail as she watched with tears in her eyes as it slipped from sight.

"'_Take Flight_' was left to me by my father, it was all I had left of him," she sniffed.

Napoleon offered her his handkerchief and put a comforting arm around her.

"I'm sorry to hear that, have you had her long?"

Lizzie nodded, "Yes, about seven years. She was getting old, I suppose she'd just come to the end of her life."

"We're not far from Long Beach, I can take you there or to one of the shore towns on Long Island if you want, you should be able to find some help there, or you can come with me." Napoleon smiled, hoping she'd choose the latter option.

"You've been so kind, I don't want to upset your plans. If you don't mind me asking, where are you going to?"

"I wasn't travelling far, just around Long Island; it's a shakedown cruise, making sure everything's okay now winter's nearly over."

"If you're sure, I wouldn't mind going with you. I'm a little traumatized and some company would be good." Napoleon saw the sadness in her eyes as she looked towards where her boat had gone down, after a while she sighed and a smile touched her lips as she turned back to him. "Yes, I really think I'd like to accompany you."

Maybe this weekend was looking up after all he thought. "No, I don't mind at all, I would welcome the company."

"Thank you." Lizzie replied as she kissed him on the cheek.

"You're most welcome. I'll put your things in my cabin and I'll sleep in here." He replied, indicating the salon area.

"I'll just freshen up and get changed," she said. "I feel a little grubby after dealing with 'Take Flight'."

She went forward, shutting the door behind her, while Napoleon contacted the Coast Guard to notify them of the sunken vessel. After he finished the call, he busied himself raising the anchor and resetting the sails, within minutes Pursang was once again running before the wind.

The brunette came up on deck with two steaming mugs of coffee, offering one to Solo.

"I thought you would welcome a hot drink. Would you like me to take the helm for a while?" She asked.

"Thank you, just what I needed," he smiled as he took the beverage, "you can take the wheel if you'd like to."

"I've always wondered what it's like to steer a modern schooner like this." She put on a brave face, trying not to dwell on the loss of her beloved boat, but to enjoy her love of sailing, just like her dad had.

Napoleon put down the mug and guided her to stand in front of him, putting his hands over hers as she took hold of the wheel, making only small adjustments to keep the boat on course. He enjoyed the sweet scent of her hair as it flew free over her shoulder in the breeze, the closeness of her body sent tingles down his spine as she leaned against him, evidently comfortable in his embrace. Things were definitely looking up.

Lizzie felt the strong arms around her and the gentle touch of his hands, she liked the warmth of his body against hers and snuggling into him, felt a safeness in his embrace she hadn't felt since her father passed away, it was a feeling she didn't want to end.

Soon they arrived at Hart's Cove they drew in the sails and dropped anchor near the shallows. Solo went below and prepared a lunch of salmon salad, French bread, brie, grapes, strawberries and white wine, bringing it all up on deck and enjoying the sun while it lasted. They laughed and chatted, enjoying the company as though they had known each other for years instead of mere hours.

Meal finished; they cleared up and set about trimming the vessel for the next leg of their journey, Napoleon once again taking up position behind Lizzie as she steered the Pursang towards Gardiners Bay where they would stay for the night.

Lizzie relaxed in Solo's arms, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I can't remember being this happy and relaxed for a long while," the brunette sighed "I think the wine must've gone straight to my head."

"It was a good vintage, and I must say the company is first rate. Do you want me to take over the helm?"

"Mmm, please, my arms are aching now."

Napoleon used one hand to steer and wrapped his other around Lizzie's waist, drawing her nearer and placing a gentle kiss on her lips as she looked up at him.

* * *

The sun was low in the sky as they furled the sails and dropped anchor in a sheltered part of Gardiners Bay. The evening meal of lobster salad accompanied by a vinaigrette dressing and boiled potatoes with a light sprinkling of mixed herbs, was eaten in the cabin, accompanied by Pouilly-Fumé, a smooth and elegant Sauvignon Blanc, this was followed by a dessert of Pavlova with strawberries and cream.

After their meal, they took the remainder of the wine up on deck, snuggling together for warmth in the cool air and watching the sun set and the stars appear. The Pursang gently rocked in the bay and the water, smooth as glass, reflected the lights from the shore, adding to the romantic feeling.

"This is lovely, I don't want it to end," Lizzie whispered.

"I'm enjoying it too; a nice evening, beautiful company, I couldn't ask for more," Solo replied, planting another kiss on her lips.

"It's strange, but I feel so comfortable with you, like I've known you for years."

"I'm glad about that, I feel the same about you." Napoleon smiled at her.

Looking up at the sky they saw a shooting star, "did you see that?" She asked.

"Yes, did you make a wish?"

"I did, and you?"

"Absolutely, but I can't tell or it won't come true." Solo pulled her closer and kissed her again, this time passionately.

"So, what do you do?" Lizzie asked

"Mmm?"

"Work, what do you do for a living?"

"Ah, that. I work for an international company, the details would bore you."

"Do you get to visit different countries?"

"Yes, I've been all over the world."

"I'll bet there's stories you could tell."

Solo grinned, "Yes there's a few; but enough about me, what about you?"

"Nothing as exciting I'm afraid, I'm just a nurse, I start a new job in the city next week."

"Nursing's an important profession, and I wouldn't mind being looked after by you."

Napoleon felt Lizzie shiver, taking off his jacket; he draped it around her shoulders. "It's getting cold, I think it's time we went below."

"Mmm, I'm tired too, it's been a long day," she yawned.

They made their way below deck to the salon, she kissed him goodnight and stepped into the cabin, closing the door behind her.

Napoleon pulled the spare bedding from the locker under the bench, making it into a bed. He changed into his pajamas and was just settling down when the door opened.

Lizzie stepped out, dressed in a satin nighty, "Um, I was wondering, err…. I don't usually do this," she said nervously, "but, would you like to sleep in here with me?" She blushed.

"I'd love to, but only if you're sure. I don't want you to do anything you'll regret later," Solo smiled.

"I'd like you to, I'm positive; it feels so right. Please sleep with me?"

Napoleon didn't need to be asked twice, and gracefully he rose to join her in his cabin where they spent the remainder of the night discovering more about each other's bodies and the pleasures they could bring to one another.

Early next morning they awoke entwined together and once more put what they'd learned during the night to good use.

"What a lovely way to wake up," Lizzie smiled, "It's a shame this is the last day."

"It doesn't have to be, we could see each other again." Napoleon kissed the top of her head which was resting on his chest, his fingers entwined in her hair.

"Mmm, I'd like that, but I don't have a permanent address to give you, I'm spending this week looking for an apartment."

"I'll give you my card, when you're ready, you can leave a message and it'll be passed on to me."

"Thank you, I'd like that."

Within an hour they were again on the move, Lizzie at the helm, steering the thirty foot boat out of the bay and into Long Island Sound. Sailing at a steady six knots, they reached Smithtown Bay at lunch time where they dropped anchor for a while before continuing on to the Marina and Pursang's berth.

It was dark when they finally stepped off the boat and walked towards their cars. Solo placed Lizzie's case into her rental car then took her in his arms, kissing her deeply, eventually pulling away with regret.

Taking out his wallet, Napoleon found the faux business card he was looking for and gave it to her. The number went to a switchboard within UNCLE where a message would be taken and passed on to him.

"Call me, anytime. I'll get the message."

"I will, I promise Napoleon. As soon as I find somewhere to live, I'll call you."

He watched as she drove off in the distance before getting in his own car and returning home, feeling suddenly empty. This woman had affected him in ways others had not and he found himself really hoping that he would see her again.

A few days later, while on assignment in Morocco, he was happy to receive a short message from her to say she'd found an apartment, and that she'd a great time on the yacht and missed him already.

After returning from the mission slightly the worse for wear and was waiting to have his injuries cleaned and stitched in Medical; he heard two voices talking in the corridor outside of his room, one of which he was very happy to hear again.

"Ah, Mr. Solo, I'd like to introduce you to our new nurse, Miss Johnson. Lizzie, this is Napo…"

"Napoleon Solo," she interrupted the doctor, her face lighting up.

"Oh, you've already met?" Dr Towers asked, feeling a bit puzzled.

"Yes, we have Doc, not too long ago."

"Oh, right. I'll leave you in her hands then Mr. Solo," he said as he left the room.

"This is the last place I expected to see you. Your card said an insurance firm." Lizzie didn't know whether to be happy or upset for the small deception, though she now knew the field agents had to be careful about what they revealed to strangers.

"Well, in a way, insurance for world peace." Napoleon smiled as he pulled her near, kissing her.

"I need to see to your wounds," she said as she came up for air.

Drawing the medical trolley near she started to clean up the cuts and burns, noticing again the old scars crisscrossing his body she'd seen during the night she'd spent on his boat, it saddened her to think that he'd been hurt so many times to keep people like her safe.

"Such a lot of scars. I first noticed them when we slept together on the Pursang, I thought maybe you'd been in a terrible accident, but was too afraid to ask. Do you ever think about giving it up?"

"Not really, I like to think I've helped to make the world a better place; if this is the price, then I'll pay it. You think these are bad, you should see my partner, Illya."

"He's the Russian isn't he?"

"Yes, he's a good friend as well. No doubt you'll meet him soon enough, he spends more time in here than I do."

"There, all done,"

"Thank you, you have a gentle touch. What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing at the moment."

"I'd like to take you out to dinner, if I may?"

"Yes, I'd like that." She blushed, her pink cheeks a contrast against the white of her uniform, as she remembered the last meal she'd had with him and the night that followed.

Solo pulled her into his embrace once more and kissed her.

"I've got to go. I've other patients to attend to. I'll see you tonight," Lizzie smiled as she pulled away.

She started for the door, pushing the trolley before her, turning at Napoleons call.

"Lizzie, I can tell you the wish I made that night we saw the shooting star, it's come true."

"So has mine, see you later," she smiled as she blew him a kiss.


End file.
